Paralyzed Veterans of America Holds Online Seminar to Educate People with Disabilities About Their Rights for Air Travel

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WASHINGTON (October 25, 2018) — Now that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Act of 2018 (H.R. 302) has been signed into law by President Donald Trump, Paralyzed Veterans of America wants to make sure people with disabilities know their rights and understand the changes on the horizon. As the only congressionally chartered veterans service organization dedicated solely to representing veterans with spinal cord injury or disease, Paralyzed Veterans of America is holding a webinar on Monday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. EDT and invites all people with disabilities, their caregivers and other organizations to attend.

“As the holidays approach and travelers with disabilities take to the skies, we want to make sure they are familiar with the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), as well as provisions of the new FAA Reauthorization Act,” said Heather Ansley, who serves as associate executive director for the Paralyzed Veterans of America government relations team. “Even though there is more work to do, this is a huge step forward and we want the disability community to know their rights and responsibilities.”

Paralyzed Veterans of America has long advocated for safety and equality in air travel. The passage of H.R. 302 provides a ‘bill of rights’ and an advisory panel for passengers with disabilities, as well as revised training and procedures for TSA screenings. Paralyzed Veterans of America supported provisions include: Increased civil penalties for wheelchair damage or bodily harm and a study on the feasibility of in-cabin wheelchair restraint systems.

The organization was also a lead proponent of the 1986 ACAA law prohibiting discrimination in air travel and safer trips for travelers with disabilities. Recently, Paralyzed Veterans of America challenged the Department of Transportation in court to move forward with requirements for accessible bathrooms on single-aisle planes.

“Access in air travel is the number one complaint Paralyzed Veterans of America hears from members,” said David Zurfluh, national president of Paralyzed Veterans of America. “Safe air travel is a matter of basic civil rights. We will continue to fight for improvements on behalf of our members and the broader disability community, but we also want to make sure they know about these important efforts.”

To sign up for the webinar visit bit.ly/PVATravelWebinar. Learn more about these issues and how Paralyzed Veterans of America is an advocate for accessible public spaces and disability rights at pva.org.